Friday, 20 March 2009

Commonwealth requirements for flying fox relocation

The Botanic Gardens Trust has now received advice from the Commonwealth Government on what they require in their 'Public Environment Report' (see previous postings for background).

Some of the information required is the same as in the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change approval conditions, and other items require clarification of answers we provided in the original application.

We have begun to prepare the Report, with help from the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology in Melbourne, and will draw on wildlife expertise within BGT and DECC.

It is important we complete this report quickly, leaving time for a period of public exhibition and then assessment, so we can still do the relocation between May and July this year.

To reiterate, the process we are proposing is the same as that used in Melbourne, and previously in Sydney, and proven to be safe for flying foxes and trees. Without the relocation, severe damage to the trees and the botanic gardens landscape continues.